First shots.... Sporterised a3/03

[CWLONGSHOT]

I was gifted this rifle many years back. It was my Grandfathers "deer rifle" Its a 30/06 wearing a re contoured factory 2 Groove barrel. Its drilled for both Peeps and scope & irons with a flip over scope mount and Bushnell Banner 1-4 scope. (Just as he left it) He had a Redfield 2 3/4 Post scope he wanted to mount. But it was broken. Not sure he realized or not.
I have a fee boxes of his 180g ammo we loaded for the rifle back in the late 1970's.

Id like to see how it shoots cast. Thinking 4759 or 2400 and a 180/210g projectile. I can post some pics later.

Any suggestions?
CW

 

[Bret4207]

Get the fouling out of the barrel first. 16.0 2400 with a 180 is a start. There is quite a lot of info on cast in 2 grooves out there. IIRC they like bore riders and do rather well.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I want to ck SN too as I believe its a single heat treat range gun.

 

[Otony]

If it is an A3, those were all made well after the heat treat issues.

The A3 is a WWII era design suggested by Remington to increase production speed. It was only manufactured by Remington and Smith-Corona. If your receiver is marked as being built by either of those companies you have zero to fear.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Ill pull it out and inspect better!

A video and pics below.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

 

[CZ93X62]

That is a nicely-done sporterization. No experience here with 2-groove milsurp barrels, but LOTS of 30-06 work with 16.0-18.0 grains of 2400 and bullets from 170-210 grains.

Slugging the throat might surprise you--all but one of my several 30-06 rifles have run .310"-.311" in the throats. Land diameters run a little fat now and then, too. The Tale Of The Tape can save a lot of time and effort down the road. Those fat-bottomed girls all doted upon the Lee #C312-185, mine casts 92/6/2 @ .313" on the bands and .302"+ on the nose. Perhaps the plasticating paint jobs some folks do is an asset in such cases. I have yet to practice such sorceries.

 

[462]

Nice sporterizing job. 1938 date of manufacture. Have to agree with Bret and Allen that 16.0-grains of 2400 and cast bullets from 170 to 220-plus-grains ought to be quite favored. My 03A3 certainly likes that load with three different designs and weights, though haven't tried it with the fourth.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Thank you!

Work was done by Ade Smith in upstate New York State in the mid/late 1960's
I need to pull front base and see if maker is listed. Chart I fpund said 1937... lessin' I read wrong but '38 is close enough!!

I found that The A1 was 1929.

 

[Charles Graff]

Just a couple of observations on the video;

1. You misread the serial number by one million.
2. Barrels don't have serial numbers.
3. I don't see any indication the barrel was recontoured.

All the numbers and markings on the barrel are not typical of US military's barrels. Somebody here will know, but not me. My gut is telling me, the barrel might be a Model 1917 barrel that has been to Britain and back. I have seen such. It that is the case and indeed it is a 2 groove barrel, that would make it a Johnson Automatics barrel. At any rate....SHOOT IT!

 

[RicinYakima]

And a #1,525,883 is a very desirable Nickel Steel action (why the blue on the action doesn't match the blue on the barrel). The only maker with that serial number could be Springfield Armory. All Remington and Smith Corona were were #3,000,000 or higher. My gut reaction is that Charles is correct in that it was a new WW2 model 1917 replacement barrel fitted to the action.

As an aside, by 1938 SA was only making National Match 1903's for the services and commercial sales to NRA members. Most of their effort was to get M1 Garand production up and running. The last every part new from scratch 1903's were made in 1927, 100 rifles. They made a couple of hundred thousand actions, but they were either match, sales or for the rebuild programs after that.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

My father remembers a Douglass barrel... But it dosent look like that!! He told me it was a re countered barrel. But that dosent mean much! Also as mentioned IF re countoured... How does stampings remain?
Thats why a i'm askin you guys surely know better! I really appreciate that knowledge!!

OK it is NOT a 2Groove barrel as he also said! .


It was built by Springfield Armory.


Thank you very much guys!!!
CW

 

[RicinYakima]

Then it is more likely a .30 machine gun barrel, cut off and front recontoured. Those would to blue print drawing numbers, those are the kinds of things on WW2 Garand barrels.

The punch mark on the shelf under the serial number means that it was rebarreled once by SA. That makes me think is was a service National Match rifle, as they were commonly rebarreled every year after the matches and used again. Or its national match barrel was worn and taken out and a replacement service barrel installed and issued as a regular rifle in early 1942.

 

[Glaciers]

Very nice looking rifle CW

 

[smokeywolf]

Very pretty rifle CW. Somebody showed very good taste in the wood selection and the rest of the cosmetics.
While it doesn't lend itself to extreme precision shooting, I like the swing away scope mount. I would have done it that way myself. It's not a sniper rifle, it's for putting meat on the table, and convenience and practicality counts in my book.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Thank you guys!!

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

Thanks Smoky!

Yup its a hunting rifle. I have learned alot since yesterday.

Its wood is likely either Fajian or Bishop. Its barrel is still unknown but likely a 1917 Enfield refit. Obviously altered as seen by position of markings.

It was built by Springfield in 1937/38

Its Bottom metal is Sako after market.

The bases and rings are swing mounts. Made by Redfield.

As for the model & designation, its a 1903 Springfield Armory cause what would make is a letter designation, has been removed from the rifle. (Sights, position there of material of bottom metal and bands. Etc)

CW

 

[Charles Graff]

I remain intrigued by the barrel marking on that rifle. We did send "Lend Lease" 1917 to Britain during WWII and the Brits marked the heck out of them. (Pic Attached). I got a couple of these shot out Lend Lease 1917 barrels in a lot of shot out barrels given to me by a gunsmith. I made all sorts of thing out of them on the lathe. I have a coupe of reloading press handles made from them. Very easy turning steel. But at any rate these don't appear to be British marking, but the "E" does suggest Eddystone. I can see the remains of front sight cuts under the ramp and a smidge of lettering peaks out. Machine gun barrels didn't have front sights on the barrel. At any rate, the barrel is not an 03/03A3 barrel, is not recontoured and does not have USGI markings. Following WWII and during the time this rifle was put together, there were all kinds of guns and gun parts floating around ready to be put back to work. I hereby throw in the towel.

 

[CWLONGSHOT]

I really really appreciate all the combined knowledge we have "on tap here".
All I have is what I remember him telling me so many years ago. My Father is still here but his memory says it had a "air gauge Douglass barrel. We pretty much know thats not what it is!
What we do know 100% was it was assembled by Abe Smith in Upstate New York. Date completed isnt soild but I remember when he first started using it and believe it was fresh from the Smith about 1970.

I have not had this out of the stock, but I see it is glass bedded into the stock.
CW